Electric toothbrush: So you don’t have to visit the dentist so often

Buy an electric toothbrush or use a regular manual one? The difference in price is huge. If a simple brush can be bought for 50 – 150 Dollars, the electric will have to lay out a few thousand, and top models are more expensive than some smartphones. Is it really worth saving up for a toothbrush?? What it costs so much for??

BRUSH TYPES

Electric toothbrushes can be classified in different ways.

Based on the movement of the bristles:

• Vibration up and down. Technically these brushes work the same way as a manual toothbrush.
• The reciprocating motion for example, the Braun Oral-B-PRO-450 D16.513 Cross Action . This cleaning method involves a slow movement from tooth to tooth.

Based on the speed of movement of the bristles:

• Electric. The included battery drives the drive of the toothbrush head through the control unit. For example, AEG EZS 5664.

• Sound. It has an oscillating wave generator inside the brush to give you the best possible results. Those, in turn, set in motion the bristles, which, acting with a certain frequency and amplitude, together with a mixture of water, saliva and toothpaste create a dynamic flow of fluid. It effectively and gently cleans all sides of the teeth, including the removal of plaque from between teeth and under the gumline. The gum filaments are responsible for preventing gum disease by performing micromotions with an audible frequency.

For example, Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Smart HX9954/57.

• Ultrasonic. Based on the action of ultrasound waves of 20,000 Hz approximately 2,400,000 movements per minute . These models are characterized by a high vibration frequency and low amplitude of movement. The principle of this brush is that the sound wave breaks the chains of bacteria that make up plaque and damages the way they are attached to the tooth surface. Some ultrasonic brushes have both sonic and ultrasonic action.

For example, Panasonic EW-DE92.

WHAT ARE THE BRISTLES MADE OF?

The basis of the bristles of most brushes is a modern, high-quality, hypoallergenic synthetic material nylon. The shape, structure and placement of the bristles can have additional functions:

• The special 16 degree angle of the bristles is perfect for cleaning the plaque from the tooth surface and gum line for example, Braun Oral-B-PRO 450D16 .513 Cross Action
• mix of bristles of different thickness and form: trihedral bristles to clean interdental spaces, diamond-shaped bristles to remove plaque, ultra-thin bristles to clean the area between the teeth and gums for example, Panasonic EW-DE92
• rounded bristles for gentle cleaning of sensitive teeth and gum care e.g. AEG EZS 5664 .

The nozzles are also differentiated by their functions: for everyday cleaning, for cleaning hard-to-reach places, with whitening and firming effect, for sensitive mouths, for cleaning and massaging gums, for full oral hygiene with braces, implants and crowns.

ADVANCED OPTIONS

Light indication.

Most electric toothbrushes have charging indicators that tell you when you need more power. Also a light indication can indicate cleaning mode, selected speed or battery level.

Display.

Some models have a small display for timing.

Timer.

Optimal recommended cleaning time of two to three minutes. The timer is programmed for that time. The brush can turn off or beep every 30 seconds, which is how long it takes to clean one of the four quadrants of your mouth.

Pressure sensor.

Advanced and more expensive models often have a pressure sensor that prevents unnecessary pressure on your teeth and gums. The brush either stops its action or emits an audible beep.

Indicators for ultrasound and ionisation.

Some ultrasonic and ionizing brushes have a special visual indicator.

Brushing modes.

The most traditional of them: for daily brushing, for whitening teeth, for sensitive teeth. Less commonly, for massage, tongue cleaning and the inside of the mouth.

In any case, when choosing such an irreplaceable thing, like a toothbrush, we recommend to consult with your dentist.

SOME HISTORY

• 1954, Switzerland.

Dr. Philip-Gee Vaughn developed the first electric toothbrush that had a medical purpose and was intended for people with limited motor skills and patients who used orthodontic braces. The first devices were powered from the home network, which of course made them difficult to use. Here, in Switzerland, begins the first mass production of these devices for the firm Broxo S.A. Broxodent brand. A little later another production opens, in France.

• 1959, USA.

The Broxo electric toothbrush was introduced in the U.S. and went on sale.

• 1960, USA.

General Electric introduces first wireless automatic toothbrush. This model was not notable for its compactness, like the previous wired versions, was quite bulky. The brush had no cord and was powered by a nickel cadmium battery, which at that time were incomplete. Such a device was sold together with the charging stand and required constant charging. The batteries were rapidly failing and could not be replaced.

• 1990s, USA.

The end of certification of corded devices for use in the bathroom leads manufacturers to create electric brushes powered by low-voltage cells. This was the impetus for other companies, and Broxodent had its first competitors. It’s fair to say that the Broxo S.A. Still produces its model, though in limited quantities.

• 1992, USA.

Ultima brand later Ultrasonex patented the first ultrasonic electric toothbrush. In the same year, the brush was approved for daily home use by the U.S. FDA Food and Drug Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .

ASK THE DENTIST

Does the dentist see what kind of toothbrush the patient uses??

We asked Sergey Alexandrovich Kutyaev, a dentist with 16 years of experience, what he thought about it.

With. KUTYAEV: A manual standard toothbrush is the uncontested reference among oral hygiene products. It has a huge number of obvious advantages in use – with correct non-traumatic use it can qualitatively and quickly clean your teeth, as well as to massage the gum tissue. Great variety, excellent availability, low price compared to various mechanical and electromechanical devices. Not only that, most manufacturers try to place special markers in the area of bristles, which after a certain period of time turn pale, indicating the importance of a speedy replacement of the brush. The alternative is electric, sonic and ultrasonic brushes, which are widely available on the household appliance market.

As practice shows, if the person not in full hygienic procedures no “nuclear” brush with a laser pointer will help him, if you just put it in your mouth in the morning and continue to sleep, hoping that the miracle of technology will do everything for a man, then you will not achieve a visible effect. Despite the increasing number and varying amplitude of oscillations of the working part of the toothbrush, you still need to do a set of different manipulations, which allows you to clean the tooth surface as effectively as possible.

Some models of these electric brushes can boast of having convenient options, such as controlling the force with which brushing is carried out, or a special timer that controls the operating time. In a global perspective, it makes absolutely no difference to the dentist who supervises his patient and controls the quality of oral hygiene what kind of toothbrush you use. The quality and consistency of the cleaning is what matters.

PHILIPS Sonicare Diamond Clean Smart HX9954/57

Price: 22,990 Dollars.

Sonic Electric Brush with Mobile App

CONSTRUCTION: handle with interchangeable brush heads. A special stand or cup with a charging zone is used for charging at home. Includes USB travel pouch.

Attachments: 4 suction cups C3 Premium Plaque Control thorough cleaning, hard to reach areas soft flexible ribs G3 Premium Gum Care gentle care and cleaning along the gum line small size W3 Premium White removal of surface stains on enamel thick bristles tongue brush TongueCare+ germ-free, dirt-free 240 specialized micro bristles .

MODES: 5 – Clean – everyday thorough cleaning White+ – removing surface stains Deep Clean+ – effective thorough cleaning Gum Health – gentle gum cleaning and special care for molar teeth TongueCare+ tongue care to clean tongue surface and keep your breath fresh. Three levels of intensity high, medium, low.

CONTROL: On/Off button./off switch.The intensity button indicators for: intensity, mode, nozzle change reminder, battery status backlit display.

INCLUDED: 4 brush heads, head holder, hygienic protective cap, storage stand for brush heads, charging base stand with power cord , glass with charging base, travel case and USB travel case.

CHARGE: One full charge lasts for two weeks of continuous use when used twice a day for two minutes in standard mode .

FEATURES: Smart technology – personalized realtime guidance brush head detection excessive movement sensor.

DESIGN: color blue.

WARRANTY: 2 years.

COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURER: China.

Philips Sonicare – smart toothbrush. It supports interaction with the Philips Sonicare app, the pairing is done via Bluetooth. The app is both educational and auxiliary: real-time alerts, tracking cleaning results, tips and tricks for care, the ability to highlight problem areas on a 3D map in the app for further elaboration. Available on Android and iOS platforms.

Brush also comes with a number of helpful features. It has a built-in over-pressure sensor in the handle, reminding you to brush less often for more gentle care. If the DiamondClean Smart brush registers excessive pressure on teeth, the light at the end of the brush blinks. Special microprocessor inside the brush head transmits information about the type of head to the brush. This way, the device independently determines the optimal mode and level of care. Indicator light tells you when the brush heads need replacing. Comes with a built-in timer to remind you to always brush in the right part of your mouth. Cleaning quality is ensured by high speed bristles, up to 31,000 bristles per minute. Travel case with charger allows you to use the toothbrush even when traveling.

BRAUN Oral-B PRO 450 D16.513 Cross Action

Price: 4599 Dollars.

Electric toothbrush with reciprocating and rotating pulse technology

CONSTRUCTION: handle with interchangeable brush heads, recharging via cradle and cord.

HANDS: 1 replaceable head – Cross Action for thorough cleaning . Exclusive nozzle shape: bristles are angled 16 to each other to effectively clean plaque from tooth surfaces and gum line.

MODE: 1 mode “daily cleaning”.

CONTROL: On/Off button./off.

INCLUDING: 1 nozzle, charger.

CHARGED: battery powered for up to 48 hours.

FEATURES: 3D brushing technology, pressure sensor, bristle wear indication.

DESIGN: orange and white.

WARRANTY: 2 years.

COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURER: Germany.

Pulsating reciprocating action cleans the tooth surface from all sides. The different motions loosen and remove plaque, massaging the gums. In one minute it performs 20,000 pulsating and 8,800 reciprocating brush strokes.

The Cross Action nozzle is suitable for everyday brushing. Special blue indicating bristles of the brush head will fade over time, indicating the need for replacement. Built-in two minute timer that sounds every 30 seconds to remind you to move to the next quadrant of your mouth. Brushing with high pressure will trigger a pressure sensor and the pulsating action will automatically shut off. This is a sign of excessive pressure on the brush and reduced cleaning performance. Charge indicator on the front of the brush lets you know when you need to recharge.

PANASONIC EW-DE 92

Price: 8990 Dollars.

Ultrasonic brush with ionization

CONSTRUCTION: watertight case with removable tips. Charging cradle with charger for recharging.

TOOLS: 3 nozzles WEWO908 ionic nozzle with silicon surface on the back for plaque removal and tongue cleaning , WEWO906 reversible ionic nozzle with silicon surface for gum massage , WEWO904 spot cleaning nozzle .

MODE: 4 modes – whitening, gentle, tongue cleaning.

CONTROL: On/Off button./off., mode switch.

INCLUDING: 3 heads, battery charger with cradle, travel pouch for transportation, brush holder.

CHARGE: 90 minutes continuous working time, full charging time 17 hours.

FEATURES: IONIZATION, soft start function.

DESIGN: color white.

WARRANTY: 1 year.

COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURER: Japan.

Panasonic toothbrush with ionization function. It is designed to increase the effectiveness of tartar removal and heal micro cracks in the mouth. Bristles with sonic horizontal vibration for a comfortable brushing experience, gently cleansing the mouth along the gum line. High speed linear motor generates approximately 31,000 vibrations per minute. The main brush head WEWO908 has three bristle profiles – triangular bristles for cleaning between teeth, diamond-shaped bristles for removing plaque, ultra-thin bristles for cleaning between teeth and gums, which provide effective removal of plaque and gentle whitening of enamel.

The brush has a two minute timer recommended brushing time that will beep every 30 seconds to tell you when to move on to the next area of your teeth. Soft start function for a softer action on your teeth when using the Bleach program. On the front panel of brush there are indicators of mode, state of charging and battery charging.

AEG EZS 5664

Price: 2150 Dollars.

Electric toothbrush

STRUCTURE: Waterproof housing, non-slip brush head. Charging from docking station with mains cable.

TOOLS: 2 brush heads.

MODE: 3 speeds Sensetive normal speed, for everyday brushing Clean high speed, for restoring natural fluoride content in tooth enamel, for whiter smiles Massage massage mode, recommended during gum treatment or for sensitive gums, also for wearing braces .

CONTROL: On Button./off.

Supplied with: Docking station with brush holder, 2 brush heads.

CHARGE: Maximum charging time 48 hours. First charge takes approximately 10 hours.

FEATURES: Special bristles, speed light indication.

DESIGN: color silver.

WARRANTY: 1 YEAR.

COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: CIS.

Handy toothbrush with waterproof case. 2 tips for optimal teeth cleaning and oral hygiene. Rounded Tynex DuPont® bristles provide gentle cleansing even for sensitive teeth and gum care.

It is possible to choose one of three speed levels for optimal care. Light indication of the selected type provides additional convenience when using. Built-in timer allows you to not watch the time of brushing, after two minutes, the toothbrush will automatically turn off. Charge level indicator light tells you when you need to recharge.